Smartphone users tend to ignore them, locking-Seattle Times

Chances are, that lock the door when you leave home, don't leave the keys in the ignition to the 7-Eleven on milk and have at least some kind of security software on your computer.

But what about your smartphone?

For many people, phone these days is a mobile office with valuable contacts, the digital wallet, from which you buy songs on iTunes or Amazon shoes and portal online bank account.

Rather than locking phones such as the vaults of the bank, the majority of owners of smartphones with their device with so much interest, such as money.

According to a survey by the provider of data security, Symantec, 54 percent of users do not have password protection, smartphone on their phones is to turn on or wake up from sleep mode.

"I think that is certainly the awareness gap right now," said Mark Kanok, group product manager for Symantec's Norton Division mobile.

"Several years ago, your phone was on the phone. Then comes the iPhone, and people are downloading applications. People are now beginning to ask questions, ' how will that affect my privacy, what happens if I lose, "such things."

The pitfalls of your phone is lost or stolen, there are also a growing number of malicious applications that are designed to steal data from it or rack up huge cellular bills.

Last week, Google took dozens of free apps from the Android market, crowded with malicious code.

Symantec estimates that the applications have been downloaded anywhere from 50 000 to 200 000 times in the period of four days before they were pulled.

John Thode, Senior Vice President and General Manager of mobility on Dell product group, said that many users of smartphones, to realize the value of their equipment, until it's gone.

"The reality is that, Yes, always when you lose your phone or your phone breaks is instant panic that comes," he said. "I'll be damned, where are the contacts? How do I get back my whole life? "

Concern is growing, when the employer will give smartphones to their employees or the employees, their personal devices to connect to the corporate network, said Mary Chan, Vice President of mobile solutions, Dell enterprise. Chan's group began offering the security systems and procedures for mobile devices in enterprise networks.

She said that the unsound phone with access to the corporate network can leave the trigger.

"I think most people do it and the CIO is actually a device management, administration, what is loaded into the device," she said.

Chan pointed to the research firm Gartner estimates that about 300 million Smartphones will be connected to the corporate network by the year 2015, about half of these facilities personal computers of employees.

Similar advice

A large part of the Security Council for the users of smartphones and corporate managers.

On the phone, install only trusted applications.

Use the Web programs that allow you to remotely monitor, or remove all the data on your smartphone, if it loses.

I don't want to lead financial transactions over public or unknown Wi-Fi networks, where your data flow through the router hacking.

Employers may also take further steps, Chan said, for example, let the staff Setup only from the list of preapproved.

Alternatively, keeps valuable corporate data only available online, rather than to individual users download it to your phone.

Available instruments

Phone makers and software developers are pushing some of these instruments smartphone users.

Apple, for example, offers free software in the iPhone and iPad that allows users to remotely set up password protection, if the device is lost or stolen, her track geographically or even delete all data from your computer, as a last resort.

Norton Mobile Security for Android device contains malware scanner in order to catch a crooked apps before you bite.

Even with technological protection user awareness can go a long way.

Simple games and screensaver-apps, for example, should not be asking for permission to access the text of the message. If so, you may be better to cancel the installation.

A strong security software and individual vigilance is going to happen in the next few years as phone makers even more important and the carriers adopt technology that transforms your phone into a wireless digital wallet.

The so-called Archimedean communication or NFC systems had their life more comfortable, so you can save your credit and debit cards and, ultimately, your driver's license digitally in the phone.

Your phone will sometimes above the scanner at the ticket counter and be on the way.

The target for thieves

But, as our phones worth more to us, also to become a more tempting target for thieves.

"As soon as you'll see the NFC, the hackers to enter this area much more fundamental way," said Thode at Dell.

It is rumored that Apple is including the NFC chip in next-generation iPhone expected this summer, and Samsung has already equipped with NFC Nexus.

Kanok on Norton, said that it appears that the growing need for better security smartphone sank.

"I think that maturity is just a little behind where we are at the front of the PC," he said. "But I think the sensitivity to life last year."

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